Cord dispensing and display package



May 19, 1970 D'. w. BURCH, JR 3,512,634

CORD DISPENSING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE 1 Filed' sept. 26, 1968 n l l INVENTOR nAmEL w. aurzcH JR.

V BY M 5M ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,512,634 CORD DlSPENSING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE Daniel W. Burch, Jr., Louisville, Ky., assignor to Wellington Puritan Mills, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 762,826

Int. Cl. B65d 85/04 U.S. Cl. 206-52 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A package comprising a coreless coil of cord supported upon a mounting plate by means of a cover member, the plate including a weakened portion adjacent lthe axis of the coil and which upon being broken from the plate denes an aperture through which the strand can be dispensed to the rear of the package without disturbing the cover member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The merchandising of cordage products at retail stores frequently requires the presentation of the product in an attractive package, but which package is later disassembled and discarded when the purchaser starts to use the product. When a ball of twine, for example, is separated from such a package it then has to be stored until completely used, may unravel and become twisted, and may become mislaid or lost.

The present invention relates to a simple and inexpensive combination of structure by means of which these and other disadvantages found in the prior art packages of cordage may be overcome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a cord dispensing and display package including a at plate adapted for hanging on a wall or other support and having a weakened portion which can be broken from the plate by pressure of the ngers thus to form an aperture through whichcordage may be dispensed. A cover member, preferably formed of a transparent plastic material, surrounds the coil of cordage and is axed to the plate. Such cordage" is formed in the shape of a coreless coil whose strand is pulled through the aperture to the rear of the plate .and without disturbing the cover member. When a plurality of such coils and apertures are employed, as when cordage of different material, color or other distinguishing characteristics isbeing used, the cover member is shaped so as to hold the several coils apart.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of an inexpensive package which can be manufactured by simple techniques; which serves as an attractive display at the point-of-sale; which serves to prevent tangling of the cord; and which enables the user at a glance to determine the amount of cordage available for a given task.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the package ernploying a plurality of coils of cord and with one open aperture for dispensing of the strand from one coil.

FIG. 2 is a sectioned view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and

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FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred form of the invention includes a at mounting plate 10 which may comprise cardboard having a series of spaced scored or weakened portions corresponding to the number of coils of cordage being used. These portions, two of which are indicated at 11, 12, are adapted to be broken from the plate by pressure of the lingers and when broken away to leave an aperture such as that shown at 13.

Coreless coils of cord as indicated at 14, 15 and 16 are arranged with their axes intersecting the apertures of the plate and as seen in FIG. 2 the strand 17 when unwound will pass through the aperture as the user dispenses the same. As used herein the term cord is intended to signify any type of exible cordage, as for example twine, rope, cord, thread or the like.

As a significant feature a one piece cover member which preferably is formed of a mold transparent plastic material includes a flat peripheral portion 20 adapted to be secured to one face of the mounting plate as by means of a heat sealing adhesive. Upstanding from this peripheral portion are shallow side walls 21, 22 which at their respective ends merge into tapered side walls 23, 24 extending to the Hat outer wall 25 of the cover member. The outer wall is spaced from the mounting plate at a distance corresponding generally to the axial length of the several coils of cordage and holds these coils against substantial endwise movement.

Extending inwardly from each of side walls 21, 22 are scalloped ledge portions 26, 27 and 28, 29 and which are connected to the outer wall 25 by means of side wall portions 30, 31. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the resulting cover configuration is such as to confine the respective coils of cordage so that when the package is mounted on a vertical support each coil will at all times be mounted in position to dispense its strand through its own aperture plate.

As Will be apparent, the use of coreless coils results in the dispensing of the strand in such manner that the maximum outer diameter of the coil is maintained until that coil is completely used. Thus if the lowermost coil 16 is exhausted, the next upper coil 15 cannot fall into the space vacated by the exhausted lower coil due to the described wall configuration of the cover member.

The cover member is undistributed from the time the package is rst manufactured until the cordage is completely exhausted with the result that the cordage remains clean and no tangling of one coil of cordage with another coil can occur. Moreover, the interior of the package remains sealed until an aperture is formed by the user in the mounting plate and thus the cordage re-mains clean and intact until the user actually employs the same. The mounting plate 10 may be supported from adjacent its top upon a vertical support (not shown) and displaced outwardly sufficiently far to enable the user to withdraw strand 17 and cut it to the `desired length. The cover member in conjunction with the plate provides interconnecting spaces in which the several coils are located and with each coil being free to contact its adjacent coil. Since each coil is not separately confined, a less expensive cover member may be used and a more rapid fabrication of the package may be effected.

What is claimed is:

1. A cord dispensing and display package comprising in combination, a generally at plate having a plurality of spaced weakened portions adapted to form apertures in said plate upon being broken from said plate, a corresponding plurality of tubular, coreless coils of cordage having their axes generally normal to the plane of said plate and adapted to have their strands unwound from the inner surfaces of said coils and to maintain their maximum outer diameters until the coil is exhausted, the unwound strands being adapted to pass to the rear side of said plate through the respective apertures, and a compact, transparent, one-piece cover member attached to the front side of said plate and supporting said coils ad- 10 with the periphery of each coil in contact with the periphery of its adjacent coil.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Percelay 206-78 X MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner A U.s. C1. X.R.

communicating spaces for retention of the respective coils 15 20G-78 

